2019-2020学年湖南省双峰县第一中学高二下学期入学考试英语试题 Word版

2019-2020学年湖南省双峰县第一中学高二下学期入学考试英语试题 Word版

双峰一中2020年上学期高二入学考试英语试题 满分:150分 时量: 120 分钟 第一部分. 听力（共两节，满分30分）‎ 第一节: 听下面5段对话,每段对话仅读一遍。‎ ‎1.What does the man mean?‎ A.He enjoys painting. B.He not only loves flowers, but also likes to draw flowers.‎ C.He likes painting but dislikes flowers.‎ ‎2.How much does one pillow cost?‎ A.＄8. B.＄7. C.＄4.‎ ‎3.What does the woman mean?‎ A.She doesn’t want to go. B.She wants to go at first, but she agrees to stay a little longer.‎ C.She doesn’t want to stay any longer.‎ ‎4.Where is the conversation most likely to take place?‎ A.At someone’s house. B.In a restaurant. C.In a hotel.‎ ‎5.What can we learn from the conversation?‎ A.The woman had a photo shop of her own.‎ B.The woman developed her photos all by herself.‎ C.The woman developed part of her own film.‎ 第二节：听下面5段对话或独白, 每段对话或独白读两遍。‎ 听第6段对话，回答第6~8题。‎ ‎6.Where does the man most probably live?‎ A.In the countryside. B.In a big city. C.In America.‎ ‎7.Why does the woman think that New York is the best place to live?‎ A.It has a large population.‎ B.It offers a colorful and exciting life.‎ C.It’s not only interesting but also quiet.‎ ‎8.What’s the relationship between the two speakers according to the conversation?‎ A.They are classmates. B.They are fellow teachers. C.They are strangers.‎ 听第7段对话，回答第9~11题。‎ ‎9.Where does the conversation take place?‎ A.In the classroom. B.On their way to school. C.On the sports ground.‎ ‎10.Who won the boys’high jump?‎ A.Peter. B.John Smith. C.Kate’s classmate.‎ ‎11.What is the man going to do?‎ A.To join in the boys’400 meters race. B.To return home. C.To go to his classroom.‎ 听第8段对话，回答第12~14题。‎ ‎12.What does the yellow and black sign stand for?‎ A.A dangerous place. B.A complete stop. C.A school nearby.‎ ‎13.What does the man have to do before passing the stop sign?‎ A.Slow down the car a little bit. B.Slow down the car to ‎30 km/h. C.Stop the car completely.‎ ‎14.What can we learn from the conversation?‎ A.The woman is driving. B.The man obeys the traffic rules. C.The man has got a ticket before.‎ 听第9段对话，回答第15~17题。‎ ‎15.Why is the man late?‎ A.He forgot to look at his watch. B.The maths teacher kept him in her office.‎ C.The maths class lasted longer than it should.‎ ‎16.What do we know about the students?‎ A.They want to hurt the teacher. B.They don’t want to hurt the teacher.‎ C.They prefer to learn more maths.‎ ‎17.What is the man most likely to do?‎ A.Talk to the maths teacher. B.Remain silent about the problem. C.Let it be.‎ 听第10段独白，回答第18~20题。‎ 18. What’s Alice Walker’s nationality?‎ A.British. B.American. C.French.‎ ‎19.How old was Alice Walker when she first met Langston Hughes?‎ A.20. B.21. C.22.‎ ‎20.What did Alice Walker think of Langston Hughes?‎ A.Kind and helpful. B.Great but mean. C.Brave and famous.‎ 第二部分 阅读理解 (共两节，满分40分)‎ 第一节 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)‎ A Parts of Africa are covered by a dark cloud. But this is no rain cloud. It is a living cloud made of billions of locusts(蝗虫) that are traveling across the continent eating everything in their path.‎ And now in the battle to stop this disaster, a radio station in Senegal, West Africa, is offering listeners 50 kilograms of locusts. “We think this idea will get more people to take part in the war on the locusts,” said Abdoulaye Ba, from Sud-Fm, a radio station in one of Senegal’s worst affected area.‎ This is West Africa’s biggest locust disaster in 15 years, and it is moving east, causing huge damage to crops. As they move, they produce young and increase their number and will soon threaten Sudan in the northeast of Africa. Some say it could reach Asia.‎ Experts say the harmful effect on crops in areas already suffering from food shortage and war could cast many people to go hungry. Governments in the areas are not well equipped to fight the pest.‎ Although leaders of 12 countries have agreed on a plan, it is not expected to be enough. “We are now treating 6,000 hectares per day with pesticide(杀虫剂), but we need to treat 20,000 hectares per day in order to have any hope of controlling this disaster,” said Mohamed Adballahi Ould Babah, director of locust control in Mauritania.‎ Requests are being made for international aid, which is the only way to limit the disaster, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization warned.‎ 21. By using “dark cloud” to describe locusts in the first paragraph, the author mainly meant to ______ .‎ A．show the size, speed and damage of the mass of locusts ‎ B．suggest the high speed that locusts travel at C．warn that locusts would sweep the continent severely ‎ D．hint that they look like dark monster ‎22．According to the text we learn that the locust disaster ________ .‎ A．can be even more serious in Asia B．is then out of control ‎ C．has affected greatly most areas ‎ D．cannot be stopped unless twice as much pesticide is provided for the affected areas ‎23．Which of the following is WRONG?‎ A．Sud-Fm offered a reward for fighting locusts so that more people would join in the effort.‎ B．Senegal is to southwest of Sudan.‎ C．The locusts can cause such damage mainly because it has no natural enemy in West Africa.‎ D．12 countries affected by locusts have united but still lack pesticide.‎ B ‎ One summer my friend and I decided to go to Italy for a holiday and we decided to travel there without going through a travel agency. You know, you would be submerged (淹没) in crowds of tourists and lose lots of opportunities to get familiar with the country more closely. We started to think over our trip and managed to come up with a free tour of Italy.‎ The trip was not very long but it was still very impressive. We look forward to going there again! Of course, we spent lots of time arranging the trip, but it was well worth it! Of course I was afraid that something would go wrong and I was especially anxious about my visa, but everything went quite smoothly in the end.‎ The most difficult part was getting a visa without an invitation. In the Italian consulate(领事馆), one must hand in some official paper proving that one has a hotel booked for oneself in order to get the visa. Then we had to solve the ticket problem. Airlines often sell cheap tickets and we bought ours far in advance. The next step was to book a hotel. We finally booked a hotel about thirty km away from the heart of Rome and it was the perfect choice for our trip.‎ Every day we took a train that carried us to the heart of Rome. Our big house, which was surrounded by the forest, was a rare place for the fresh air and absolute silence, beautiful views, hospitable (好客的) hosts, comfortable living conditions delighted us to no end. Besides this, we were very lucky that our mistress was Russian. She gave us a lot of advice that was of great use. She told us what transport to choose and where the best places to go.‎ Don’t be afraid to arrange your trip by yourself. It’s not difficult! The only thing I’ll say right now is that we really enjoyed traveling by ourselves. We walked with a map and a guide-book to wherever we wanted and we even met some of our fellow countrymen on the way just two or three times. So, if you’re also planning a “single” trip, don’t forget to take a Russian-Italian phrasebook as people in Italy prefer to speak in their native tongue.‎ 24. What does the author think was the hardest in preparing for his Italian trip?‎ A．Buying cheap airline tickets to Italy before the traveling B．Getting a visa without an invitation from the Italian consulate.‎ C．Booking a comfortable hotel on his own in Rome.‎ D．Solving the ticket problem far in advance.‎ ‎25. In the fourth paragraph the author mainly explains ________.‎ A．the reason why he chose to live in the center of Rome B．the reason why the hotel he booked was the right choice C．what transport they chose to travel in their Italian trip D．the reason why the mistress gave them some advice ‎26. Which of the following questions has NOT been answered in the passage?‎ A．Why did the author decide not to follow a travel agency?‎ B．How did the author prepare for his trip?‎ C．What tools did the author use for his traveling?‎ D．Why did the author decide to go to Italy for a holiday for the first time?‎ ‎27. From the text we can know the author _________.‎ A．enjoys traveling everywhere in the world B．likes being accompanied by tour guides C．advises us to arrange trips by ourselves D．met with a lot of his countrymen in Italy C ‎ Thinking is something you choose to do as a fish chooses to live in water. To be human is to think. But thinking may come naturally without your knowing how you do it. Thinking about thinking is the key to critical(批判性的) thinking. When you think critically, you take control of your thinking processes. Otherwise, you might be controlled by the ideas of others. Indeed, critical thinking is at the heart of education.‎ ‎ The word “critical” here has a special meaning. It does not mean taking one view against another view, as when someone criticizes another person for doing something wrong. The nature of critical thinking is thinking beyond the easily seen—beyond the pictures on TV, the untrue reports in the newspapers, and the faulty reasoning (错误的推理).‎ ‎ Critical thinking is an attitude as much as an activity. If you are curious about life and desire to dig deeper into it, you are a critical thinker; if you find pleasure in deep thinking about different ideas, characters, and facts, you are a critical thinker.‎ Activities of the mind and higher-order reasoning are processes of deep and careful consideration. They take time, and do not go hand in hand with the fast speed in today’s world, fast foods, instant coffee, and self-developing film. If you are among the people who believe that speed is a measure of intelligence, you may learn something new from a story about Albert Einstein. The first time Banish Hoffman, a scientist, was to discuss his work with Albert Einstein, Hoffman was too nervous to speak. But Einstein immediately put Hoffman at ease by saying, “Please go slowly, I don’t understand things quickly.”‎ ‎28．Critical thinking is important to us because if we do not think critically,__________.‎ A．it will be hard for us to think naturally and fast B．we will follow the ideas of others naturally C．we might be controlled by other people’s ideas D．we might be fooled by other people’s ideas ‎29．If you are a critical thinker, you will________.‎ A．criticize other people for their mistakes B．trust the reports in the newspapers C．take one view against another view D．think deeply about different ideas ‎30．In the last paragraph, “something new” suggests that________.‎ A．the smarter you are, the faster you do things B．intelligence is not decided by speed C．speed can improve intelligence D．the faster you do things, the smarter you become ‎31．What would be the best title for the passage?‎ A．Understanding Critical Thinking B．Thinking and Critical Thinking C．Thinking Natural and Human D．Thinking Fast Means Intelligence D ‎ ‎ More than four decades ago British scientist Robert Edwards first witnessed the miracle of human life growing inside a test tube at his Cambridge lab. Since that ground-breaking moment, more than four million babies have been born through IVF and in 2010 his great contribution to science was finally recognized as he was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine.‎ The prize for Dr. Edwards, who was given a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award in 2008, includes a £900,000 check. The Nobel Assembly described IVF as a “milestone in modern medicine”.‎ With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, the Manchester-born physiologist developed IVF - leading to the birth of the world’s first test tube baby. Dr. Steptoe died 10 years later but their work has transformed fertility treatment and given hope to millions of couples.‎ It was a scientific breakthrough that transformed the lives of millions of couples. They said: “His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a disease which makes human unable to have a baby. This condition has been afflicting a large percentage of mankind including more than 10% of all couples worldwide.”‎ Louise Brown, the world’s first test tube baby, made international headlines when she was born in Oldham, Gtr Manchester, in 1978 to parents Lesley and John who had been fruitlessly trying for a baby since 1969.‎ Ivf-in-vitro fertilization is the process whereby egg cells are fertilized outside the body before being implanted in the womb. After a cycle of IVF, the probability of a couple with infertility problems having a baby is one in five—the same as healthy couples who conceive naturally.‎ Professor Edwards, who has five daughters and 11 grandchildren, began his research at Cambridge University in 1963, after receiving his PhD in 1955. He once said: “The most important thing in life is having a child. Nothing is more special than a child.” With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, Prof. Edwards founded the Bourn Hall clinic in Cambridge shire, which now treats more than 900 women a year. Each year, more than 30,000 women in Britain now undergo IVF and 11,000 babies are born as a result of the treatment.‎ But his work attracted widespread criticism from some scientists and the Catholic Church who said it was “unethical and immoral”.‎ Martin Johnson, professor of reproductive sciences at the University of Cambridge, said the award was “long overdue”. He said: “We couldn’t understand why the Nobel has come so late but he is delighted - this is the cherry on the cake for him.”‎ Professor Edwards was too ill to give interviews but a statement released by his family said he was “thrilled and delighted”.‎ ‎32．What is Robert Edwards’ contribution to science?‎ A．Enabling millions of couples to live a better life. ‎ B．Seeing the wonder of the first tube baby growing.‎ C．Helping couples with infertility to have tube babies. ‎ D．Challenging a disease which stops human having a baby.‎ ‎33．What does the underlined word “afflicting”(Paragraph 4) most probably refer to?‎ A．troubling B．developing C．improving D．confusing ‎34．Why did Professor Edwards begin his research on tube baby?‎ A．Because he thought it of great significance to have a child in life.‎ B．Because the birthrate around the world was unexpectedly low then.‎ C．Because a special child did make a difference to an ordinary family.‎ D．Because his fellow scientist wanted to give hope to the unlucky couples.‎ ‎35．It can be inferred from Paragraph 8 and Paragraph 9 that ___________.‎ A．Professor Edwards deserved the prize for his breakthrough.‎ B．different opinions were voiced on Professor Edwards’ finding.‎ C．some people envied Professor Edwards for his being awarded.‎ D．the prize was late because the finding was first considered immoral.‎ 第二节 七选五（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10 分） ‎ Do you remember the last time you read a book or a magazine? 36 ? If you’re one of those who don’t have a habit of reading regularly, you might be really out. Here are some benefits of reading.‎ ‎1. Stress Reduction No matter how much pressure you have at work or in daily life, it all just slips away when you lose yourself in a great story. 37 ．‎ ‎2. Knowledge Everything you read fills your head with new information, and you never know when it might come into use. 38 ．Besides, you might lose everything else — your job, your money,‎ ‎ and even your health, but knowledge can never be taken from you.‎ ‎3. 39 ．‎ The more you read, the more words you gain exposure to. As a result, this will gradually enlarge your everyday vocabulary. Then you might become more knowledgeable and well-spoken, which can increase your self-confidence and even help you get promotions more quickly.‎ ‎4. Better Writing Skills Exposure to well-written works has a great effect on your own writing. In other words, writing styles of other authors will influence your own work. 40 ．‎ Now that reading has so many benefits, step away from your computer and go hunting for something new to read!‎ A. Vocabulary Expansion B. This goes hand in hand with the expansion of your vocabulary C. You can greatly improve your writing skill by means of reading D. A well-written novel can bring you pleasure, and allow you to relax E. Is checking e-mails or updating the microblog your daily reading habit F. The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are for your life G. That is why beginners always learn how to write by reading the works of others 第三部分 英语知识运用 (共两节, 满分45分)‎ 第一节: 完形填空(共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)‎ The Ministry of Education has spared no efforts to bring on IT learning. What is its main aim? Is it to teach students how to learn the computer or is it meant to change the usual method of teaching in order to   41   students’ strong interest in computers? ‎ ‎    Teaching students computer knowledge and skills is different   42   giving class lessons through the use of computers. And schools are beginning to pay much attention to using computers to teach students. There is   43   about the fact that IT learning plays an important role as a new teaching tool in this day of technology.   44 , views differ on whether the schools can achieve their targets, as success   45   whether they can make use of computers effectively. ‎ ‎    Let’s take the subject of Chinese as an example and see   46   difficulties the experts face in their IT management. At present, 20 percent of lessons are given with the help of computers. In other words, in a period of 10 weeks, a Chinese － language teacher must spend two weeks to teach the subject   47  . In carrying out such a major policy as IT learning, the experts should know   48   that different teachers teaching different subjects have different demands, thus making it  49   to see the policy through. ‎ ‎    Some teachers, having already got some computer knowledge, will still be forced to   50 the training courses with those who have zero knowledge about computer. Another problem is that new teachers may be sent to work in schools   51   IT learning has just started. All teachers － including the seniors who are very   52   in teaching, who suddenly have no idea what to do when it comes to computers, will have to   53   from the very beginning. They will become   54   and their teaching performances may be badly affected. ‎ ‎    The experts have found out how much of each subject is taught by computers in every school, and have   55   all school to complete the given work. A hard － pressed teacher may put the daily teaching   56   or the courses onto the computer ‎ just to order the required time for IT learning and then   57   the usual way. Furthermore, he may leave school work to his   58   through the computer before class comes to an end in order to “complete” his IT learning   59 .   60   the teaching of the Chinese language is concerned, do computer lessons really achieve the desire goals to raise the students’ level of Chinese, pass on common values and so on? I am not so sure.‎ ‎41. A. show     B. be     C. match     D. have   ‎ ‎42. A. with      B. to   C. in       D. from   ‎ ‎43. A. no reason    B. no doubt    C. no need    D. no time   ‎ ‎44. A. However     B. Therefore   C. And      D. So   ‎ ‎45. A. depends on   B. leads to    C. results in  D. believes in   ‎ ‎46. A. that     B. such    C. what      D. how   ‎ ‎47. A. the usual way   B. the regular way  C. the best way   D. the new way    ‎ ‎48. A. the fact    B. the message  C. the news  D. the truth   ‎ ‎49. A. easy    B. helpful     C. hard      D. fast   ‎ ‎50. A. sit for    B. run for     C. give      D. attend   ‎ ‎51. A. for which    B. that    C. where     D. which   ‎ ‎52. A. interested     B. satisfied   C. successful   D. experienced   ‎ ‎53. A. work     B. start    C. teach     D. manage   ‎ ‎54. A. pleased    B. disappointed  C. certain     D. comfortable   ‎ ‎55. A. ordered    B. improved   C. encouraged  D. instructed   ‎ ‎56. A. methods     B. skills    C. programs    D. performances    ‎ ‎57. A. make a living   B. give lessons  C. go to lectures   D. does work   ‎ ‎58. A. workmates  B. headmasters  C. instructors     D. students   ‎ ‎59. A. skills     B. experiences   C. duties  D. methods   ‎ ‎60. A. As     B. So long as   C. Even though   D. As far as 第二节：语法填空(共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分) ‎ What do you do when you need to look something up? These days, most people go straight to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia(百科全书). But how 61.__________(rely) is it?‎ There’s no denying the 62.__________(popular) and usefulness of Wikipedia. The site is available in more than 270 different languages, 63.__________(attract) a massive 78 million visitors every month. Being one of the most comprehensive resources available, it got much more information than 64.________ ordinary encyclopedia. Anyone with an internet connection can log on and edit the contents.‎ Of course, there are some controls. Wikipedia has a team of over 1,500 administrators, 65._________ check for false information. 66.__________, with more than 16 million articles to keep an eye 67._______, it isn’t easy. So, while Wikipedia benefits from being 68.__________(constant) updated with information, it’s also open to “vandals”(蓄意破坏者).‎ Some of the damage is easy to notice; but other things are hard to spot. The most common form involves some false information 69.__________(add) into the biography of a famous person. Incredibly, some of this misinformation 70.___________(appear) in newspapers so far, with The Daily Mail and The Guardian both falling victim to the pranks(恶作剧). So, if you're going to use any information from Wikipedia, make sure you double-check it first.‎ 第三节：单句语法填空(共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)‎ ‎71.We believe that the Internet should be public, open and ______________(access).‎ ‎72.In his speech, he call _____ all of us to take immediate action to fight against global warming.‎ ‎73.No sooner had Mo Yan stepped on the stage than the audience broke into thunderous ‎ __________(applaud).‎ ‎74.__________(addict) to computer games, the boy didn’t want to study.‎ ‎75.The general issued a command that all of them __________(withdraw) as quickly as possible.‎ ‎76.Let’s postpone ________(make) a decision until we have more information.‎ ‎77.The number of road accidents and the deaths ________ (arise) from those accidents has increased. ‎ ‎78.This small town has all the ____________(character) of a typical seaside resort.‎ ‎79.The fake(赝品) not only disturb the normal market order, but also ________(threat) people’s life.‎ ‎80.He was confident in himself, and eventually he ______ succeed. ‎ 第四部分 写作 (满分25分)‎ 假定你是李华，收到英国笔友Tom咨询武汉爆发新型冠状病毒肺炎并在中国至全世界蔓延的邮件，获悉他非常关注中国疫情并咨询该病毒防护之道。请根据邮件内容给他回复。词数100左右。‎ Dear Li Hua, ‎ I’m sorry to hear that a kind of terrible virus called COVID-19 was found in Wuhan. The disease has spread from those who were sick to others all around the world, which bring us great worry and fear.‎ How is COVID-19 produced? Has China taken great measures to control the disease? What should we protect ourselves from being infected with the virus?‎ Looking forward to hearing from you.‎ ‎ Yours,‎ ‎ Tom ‎ 参考词汇：疫情 the epidemic situation 飞沫 droplets 双峰一中2020年上学期高二入学考试英语答案 第一部分 听力 ‎1~5 BCCBC 6~8 ABC 9~11 CBA 12~14 CCB 15~17 CBA 18~20 BCA 第二部分 阅读理解 ‎21~23 ABC 24~27 BBDC 28~31 CDBA 32~35 CAAB 36~40 EDFAG 第三部分 语言知识运用 第一节 完形填空 ‎41~45 CDBAA 46~50 CDACD 46~50 CDBBD  51~55 DBDCD 第二节 语法填空 ‎61. reliable 62. popularity 63. attracting 64. an 65. who ‎ ‎66. However 67. on 68. constantly 69. added 70. has appeared 第三节 单句语法填空 ‎ ‎71.accessible 72.on 73.applause 74.addicted 75.(should) withdraw ‎76.making 77.arising 78.characteristics 79.threaten 80.did ‎ 第四部分 写作 Dear Tom,‎ ‎ Thank you very much for your attention to the epidemic situation in China. It was reported that COVID-19 was found in a seafood market in Wuhan. The disease has spread from those who ate bats and got sick to others throughout the world.‎ ‎ Firstly, China shut down Wuhan and other 12 cities in Hubei‎ ‎Province, carrying out travel limits to fight against the disease. Secondly, health care staff in China gathered quickly to support Wuhan, with lots of donations. Thirdly, the Government extended the Spring Festival and ordered people to stay at home to resist the spread of pneumonia.‎ ‎ There are a number of ways to protect against infection. These include covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing with a medical mask; avoiding close contact with those who are unwell; washing hands often with soap and water and so on.‎ ‎ Though there may be a long way to go for us, let’s work hard in hand to win the battle !‎ ‎ Yours,‎ Li Hua 听力 ‎ (Text 1)‎ W:I like my flowers.The colder it becomes,the sweeter they are.Do you like flowers?‎ M:I’m more than a lover of flowers.I also enjoy painting them.‎ ‎(Text 2)‎ W:How much are these pillows,please?‎ M:Four dollars each or seven dollars for the pair.‎ ‎(Text 3)‎ W:I really have to be going.‎ M:Why?Stay a little longer.‎ W:No.I must catch the last bus.‎ ‎(Text 4)‎ M:Good morning,Madam.A table for two?‎ W:No,thank you.Can you help me?Are there any hotels near here?‎ ‎(Text 5)‎ M:Did you develop all your own film?‎ W:Only the black and white.I had a photo shop do my color pictures.‎ ‎(Text 6)‎ M:Where are you from?‎ W:The United States.I live in New York.‎ M:Oh,really?I think it’s a big city with a large population,right?By the way,do you like it?‎ W:Yeah.I think it’s the best place to live.‎ M:Why do you say that?‎ W:You see,there’s always something exciting to do,and it’s never boring.‎ M:My place isn’t boring,either.You can fish,hike,grow some vegetables and all kinds of things if you like,though it’s small and quiet.‎ W:I guess so,especially here in New Zealand.‎ ‎(Text 7)‎ M:Well done!Congratulations,Kate!Your team are really flying girls in our school.‎ W:Thank you.I felt sorry for Peter.He dropped the stick.‎ M:Who won the boys’ high jump?Do you know the result?‎ W:I don’t know.Oh,just listen to the loudspeaker.It’s telling the result of high jump.‎ M:Ah,John Smith from my class won the match.‎ W:Well done!Your class!By the way,who won the girls’ 400 meters race?‎ M:I’m not sure.Oh,I must go.The next is the boys’ 400 metres race.‎ W:Good luck to you and your team.‎ M:Thank you!‎ ‎(Text 8)‎ M:Bonnie.I’m going to turn right at the stop sign just ahead.But notice that I first come to a complete stop.‎ W:But there are not any other cars around.Can’t you just slow down a little bit before you pass the stop sign?‎ M:No,that would be dangerous,and if a policeman sees me,I’ll get a ticket.‎ W:Oh,I see.What’s that yellow and black sign?‎ M:That lets you know we’re entering a school zone.‎ W:Do we have to stop?‎ M:Not now,but on school days between ‎8 a.m.and 5 p.m.,drivers must slow down to 30 miles per hour.‎ ‎(Text 9)‎ W:Oh,hi,Fred!I didn’t know whether to save you a place or not.Why are you so late?‎ M:It’s our maths teacher.She always keeps us in class until past ten.‎ W:Doesn’t she know that you’re supposed to get out at ten?‎ M:I guess so.But she never looks at her watch.She just keeps talking.‎ W:Don’t the students complain about it?I would say something.‎ M:No.Everybody is too polite.‎ W:Well,you could try and talk to her.‎ M:Maybe.But I’m afraid she might feel hurt.‎ W:Well,it all depends on how and when you say it.If you tell her about it in a friendly way when she’s not busy,she might be thankful.She might even ask you to remind her of the time in the future.‎ M:Really?That would be wonderful.Thanks for your advice.‎ ‎(Text 10)‎ Alice Walker makes her living by writing.And her poems,short stories,and novels have won many prizes for her.She was born in Eatonton,Georgia.She went to public schools there,and then to college in Atlanta before coming to New York to attend another college,from which she graduated in 1966.For a time she lived in Jackson,Mississippi,with her lawyer husband and little daughter.Once she met with Langston Hughes,a great American poet.She promised that she would write a book for children someday.She was twenty-two years old that year.He was kind and gave Alice Walker a lot of books.His kind help gave her lots of courage and she was very thankful to him.So far,Alice Walker has written a number of books and become famous.‎